EcoLur
Only in 2016 Jermuk resort town was included as an Amulsar project affected community, when 'Amulsar International' Company presented 'Environmental and Social Impact Assessment' (ESIA) of the Amulsar project. Before that 'Geoteam' CJSC has changed the ESIA of the Amulsar project four times since 2009, but Jermuk hasn't been included anywhere, though in 2012 the Aldermen's Council of Jermuk Town demanded to stop Amulsar mining project with a letter with 11 signatures.
There is a great probability that the soil layers feeding mineral springs will be disturbed, which may result in the springs getting dried: (http://www.ecolur.org/hy/news/officials/aldermenvs-council-in-jermuk-demanding-minister-to-stop-project/3867/).
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In 2013 the owners of the resort hotels operating in Jermuk expressed their concerns in regard with Amulsar open gold mining project and they stated, 'Mining is simply impermissible for Jermuk. If the mine is developed, Jermuk will cease exiting as a resort. Nobody will come to Jermuk, if they learn about the emission of heavy metals.'' (http://www.lragir.am/index/arm/0/society/view/84185).
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Jermuk residents Victoria Grigoryan and Macedon Aleksanyan called upon the court to recognize Jermuk as Amulsar project affected community, but their claim was rejected. 'We have been struggling and called upon several courts, we have gone through all the court instances, nevertheless, Jermuk hasn't been recognized as a project affected community,' Jermuk resident Macedon Aleksanyan told EcoLur.
What has changed after Jermuk has been recognized as project affected community?
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The risks, which were raised by Jermuk residents, were mainly not assessed in the new ESIA of the company. Instead, the documents in details described the change of population demographics, which may happen with the influx of a large number of employees. The document says, “During the two years of construction the number of staff will include around 1300 people. Non-local employees will reside in the hotels and rented flats in Jermuk and adjacent areas.”
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Only one of EcoLur’s interviewees supported the mining, “If I had employment all year round, I naturally would be very pleased.”
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In “Center for Jermuk Development” NGO Vazgen Galstyan’s opinion, “If hotels host their employees, they will get deprived of tourists and those people will suffer, who render services to tourists. We had a meeting with “Geoteam” and offered them to insure hotels from probable losses. But they rejected our offer reasoning that they have undergone serious environmental expertise and as environmental risks are zero, it means the impact on tourism is zero,” Vazgen Galstyan said, “So far I haven’t taken part in any discussion, as there hasn’t been any announcement about discussions. There has been no discussion in Jermuk community and Jermuk residents didn’t take part in any public discussions.”
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“Jermuk Youth Center” Director Syuzanna Avetisyan confirmed the above mentioned, “Last time I learned at the last time it was going to be public discussions. There I raised this question of the validity of the public hearings, as Jermuk community residents didn’t take part in it.”
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August 05, 2016 at 11:17